Saying goodbye to their employers and wards, whom they have shared wonderful memories with, is probably one of the hardest things Filipina nannies have to deal with at one point.
It is hard to part ways especially if the people they have worked for have treated and loved them like family.
However, it is also equally heart-wrenching to their wards who are being left behind, that is why the first and youngest woman from Saudi Arabia to reach the summit of Mount Everest travelled to the Philippines to say her goodbyes to her two nannies who took care of her since the 1980s.
On Instagram, mountaineer and art director Raha Moharrak shared that her mother hired the two Filipina nannies, Rosa and Lumi, in 1982.
“As our nannies, they cared for me and my siblings as if we were their own. I love them dearly,” her post read.
Moharrak accompanied her two Filipina nannies back to the Philippines and visited their hometowns to personally meet and thank their respective families.
“[I] am beyond grateful that I get to accompany them back to the Philippines as they return home to their families. Even though this is my first visit, I feel like I’ve been here before because they’ve told me so many stories over the years,” Moharrak said.
Moharrak visited Rosa’s hometown, Zambales, first where she met Rosa’s family and dined with them. She also experienced riding a tricycle, eating kamias, and touring around islands in Rosa’s hometown.
“I explored Rosa’s hometown in the Philippines! It’s so rewarding to finally see where she was born and grew up. I was always curious about her life, her family, and what she left behind to work in a foreign country,” Moharrak said.
“Even though Rosa described them many times before, I was blown away by their beauty. Amazingly, the warmth of the sun radiates not just from the sky, but from every friendly face you meet. Very few places are as friendly and welcoming as this beautiful country.”
Moharrak then visited Lumi’s home where she met Lumi’s family and shared a lunch with them.
Rosa and Lumi then took Moharrak to a mushroom farm and travelled to Tagaytay City to show Moharrak, who has high interest in mountains and volcanoes, the smallest volcano in the world, the Taal Volcano.
As the trip neared its end, Moharrak had one realization: “I still can’t quite imagine not having them close by anymore.”
To end the trip, Moharrak and the nannies explored a place that is new to all of them – Manila.
There, Moharrak said goodbye to them with a heavy yet happy heart.
“Love is beautiful. It reaches across oceans and time to connect us, whether related or not, until we leave pieces of our hearts scattered across the world,” Moharrak said.
“Words can’t express how much you both mean to me and I’ll forever fall short in being able thank you enough for taking care of us all. Love you my Lola’s.”
(By Robert Andrei Cimbracruz and Neil Arwin Mercado)
